Can I help pour out the rain?
by Divachick86
Summary: A car ride home with his daughter, and like kids do, she starts playing twenty questions. But Patrick never could have guessed one, would touch him to his soul. Paddy and his daughter


**I got inspired again, so this is a Paddy and his little girl story. I'll go ahead and tell you that it was inspired by the song, "Help pour out the rain" by Buddy Jewell. So that said here it goes.**

_Can I Help Pour Out the Rain?  
_

The cemetery was quite and peaceful as the black car pulled down the gravel drive and came to a stop. No sooner did it stop than a little girl, dressed in baby blue, flung open her door and leapt out. "Come on Daddy!" She yelled, turned around to see if he was coming. The red-haired man, stepping out of the car himself, chuckled.

"I'm coming." He looked down for something and frowned. "Where'd the flowers go?"

His blond daughter giggled. "I've got them, see Daddy," she said, holding up the bouquet of flowers in question.

"When did you get a hold of those, you little stinker?" He asked shutting the door.

The girl giggled again, "I got them while you were talking to Aunt Fanny."

"Wow, I didn't even see you," Patrick Fulbright said, scratching his head as he tried to recall seeing his daughter take the flowers.

"That's why Mommy doesn't like you on your phone while you driving, she says it distracts you and you could wreck," She said matter-of-factly.

"Well, what Mommy doesn't know won't kill," Paddy said with a wink, bending down and taking the flowers from her hands.

"Mommy says that's a bad life philosophy and will only lead to trouble," his daughter told him, looking at him innocently.

"You have a big vocabulary for a six-year-old," He replied, touching her freckle covered nose playfully. She giggled again, as her dad stood up and began walking on. She turned and stumbled after him.

"Daddy?"

"Yes."

"If you swallow soap, then hold your nose and blow real hard, would bubbles come out of your ears?"

"Why would you ask a question like that?" Paddy said with a slight chuckle.

"Well, Doupy did it in _Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, _I just wanted to know if it was possible."

Paddy laughed, but stopped when they reached the headstone. His daughter stopped, too, sensing his sudden change in mood. "You want to put the flower's down, Aranea?"

"Yeah," Aranea said, taking the flowers and setting them down in front of the stone. "It's her birthday today," she said.

"I know."

"Do you miss her, Daddy?" Aranea asked looking up at him.

"More everyday," he replied.

The girl looked over, "When are we bringing Grandpa flowers?"

"I don't know," Paddy replied. "Maybe on his birthday."

"I remember more about Grandpa," Aranea told him.

"Of coarse you do, you were much younger when your grandmother died," her father assured her.

"I still wish I remembered her better."

"It's okay. Come on tell Grandma and Grandpa goodbye, we need to get home," Patrick said sparing one last glance at his parents' tombstones.

"Bye," Aranea said, then hurrying after her dad. "You never answered my question, Daddy."

"The answer is no," he said stopping and picking her up as she caught up. He flipped her over his shoulder and began tickling her. She laughed and squealed, as she tried to push his hands away. "It is not possible."

He then put her down. Her face was still very red from being upside down and laughing. Her twin braids were in all sorts of disarray. She tried to fix her blue checkered skirt, then noticed that her sparkly blue sneakers were splattered with brown as she had been set down right in a mud puddle. "Daddy! Now my shoes are all muddy!"

"Aww, that's awful," he said in mock panic. "Here let me fix that," He said bending down so he was eye level with her. Rather than fixing her shoes, however, he pulled the hood of her blue jacket over her head and threw over his shoulder, carrying her up the the car. He plopped her down on the gravel and opened the door for her. "There you are," he said gesturing at the open door.

Aranea stuck her tongue out at him, but was laughing to hard for it to be really hurtful. She then preceded to climb into the car. Paddy shut the door and went around the car. He got in the drivers seat and it took no time for Aranea to ask a new question.

"When's Mommy gonna be back?" the little girl asked.

"Why? Do you not love me anymore?" Paddy asked, putting on a mock hurt expression, as he turned on the car.

"No, it's not that. I do still love you, but you can't really cook," the little girl, blushing a little.

Patrick laughed, "Fair enough, She should be home in a couple of days."

Aranea was silent as they pulled out of the cemetery, then, as she looked out the window, she asked, "Daddy, why is the grass green?"

"I don't know, I guess that's just how God made it," Patrick said.

"Is that why the skies blue then?"

"I suppose."

"I like the night sky, when its all dark and the stars come out. It always looks so pretty. Sometimes I like to think the stars are like Grandpa's eyes, watching me, and twinkling with pride. What's your favorite kind of sky?"

"I like daytime sky, but only when there are a few wispy white clouds. I've always thought it looks rather amazing. Like you with your white hair and all that blue you wear."

Aranea giggled. When one thought about it she did look rather similar to this kind of sky. With whitish blond hair, in two braids resting on her shoulder, weaved with light blue ribbons. A light blue jacket and white tank top, and a blue checkered skirt with white leggings. She st in thought for a few more moments then said, "Daddy, what do you think of people who don't believe in life after death, or in God."

"I don't agree with them, but I have to remember that everyone is entitled to their own opinions."

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Aranea?" He replied, smiling as he knew her game of twenty questions could go on forever. He wasn't prepared for what she said next, for he never could have guessed one would touch him to his soul.

But she said, "Daddy, when we get to Heaven, can I taste the Milky Way? Are we going there to visit or are we going there to stay? Am I gonna see my Grandpa? Can I have a pair of wings? And do think that God could use another angel, to help pour out the rain?"

Patrick was taken completely off guard, and he had to pull off to the shoulder and sit for a moment. He looked back at his daughter, who was sitting patiently waiting for an answer. He shook his head and and rubbed his misty eyes. Then he whispered, "Lord, I'd like to thank you for my children. Cause your innocence that fills them often takes me by surprise. Like: 'Daddy when we get to Heaven can I taste the Milky Way? Are we going there to visit or are we going there to stay? Am I gonna see my grandpa? Can I have a pair of wings? And do you think that God could use another angel, to help pour out the rain?'"

He then turned to his daughter and said, "I really don't know, Sky."

Aranea smiled at his favorite nick name for her, then replied, "Okay," and turned to look back out of the window.

Later that night Patrick sat in his chair, reading the paper. Aranea walked into the room, wearing her light blue night gown and totting her favorite teddy bear. She tapped his shoulder. He looked up and smiled as he was reminded of the events earlier that day. She said, "Come tuck me in Daddy, please."

"Okay, I'm coming," He said putting down his paper and following her up the stairs and to her room. She jumped into bed and immediately lied down so he could pull the blanket over her like always, but this time he said, "You wanna pray first, Sky?"

"Yeah!" she said enthusiastically, shooting straight back up. She folded her hand and bowed her head, but opened one eye again when he didn't start right away. He got down on his knees beside her bed and folded his hands to. He saw her close her eye again as he bowed his head and started, "Lord, when I get to Heaven can I taste the Milky Way?"

Then Aranea joined in, "Are we going there to visit or are we going there to stay?"

"I don't want to come to visit, cause I'm coming home to stay."

"Am I gonna see my Grandpa?"

"I can't wait to see my family."

"Can I have a pair of wings?"

"And meet Jesus face to face."

Then they said together, "And do you think, Lord, that you could use just one more angel... to help pour out the rain?"

"Can I help pour out the rain?" Patrick said.

"Amen," Aranea finished. Then she lied down again and her dad pulled her covers over her and kissed her forehead.

As he was turning to leave Paddy caught sight of the starry night sky out of the window that Aranea liked to leave open so she could gaze at the stars. There was one star twinkling particularly bright at him and Paddy could almost hear his father saying, "Your doing great. I'm very proud of you."

"Thanks, Dad."

**Okay I thought this song was really cute, and when I was listening to it earlier I thought immediately of Paddy and his daughter. So yeah.**

**Did you pay attention to Aranea? Notice similarities? differences? Similar but differences? ( Particularly with charlotte since that's who I was concentrating on.)**

**Oh and I picked the girl's name out special, who can guess what's special about her name? ( I know of coarse I chose it.) 150 pts to whoever can guess it :D In other words, don't forget to reveiw! :D**


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